In the field of printed circuit boards, many occasions arise in which an insert needs to be inserted into a hole in a predrilled board, either to affix a component to the board or to provide a common connection between the two sides of the board. In the first instance, the insert could be a retaining pin. When it is inserted through a hole in the component and in the board, the pin effectively provides the necessary tension to hold the component to one board. In the second instance, the insert could be a hollow pin such that once inserted, both ends of the pin could be flared and soldered to the conductive traces on the two sides of the board to form a conductive through hole.
In the prior art, insertion of such inserts typically required careful manual alignment of the insert with the hole. Because the insert is necessarily small in most cases, e.g., 0.5 cm long, maintaining the alignment with one hand and applying the force necessary for inserting the insert with the other hand presented a difficult and time-consuming task for most operators. Furthermore, the manual insertion provided inconsistent results; a misalignment of the insert with the hole when an axial force is applied would result in either damage to the board or a skewed insertion that may not operate effectively. Similar undesirable results can occur when the insertion force is applied monaxially.
The preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention provides an apparatus and technique that automatically aligns the insert axially with the hole in the predrilled board and applies a substantially axial force to the insert upon insertion. An insert-feeding orifice in the apparatus is aligned to a centering pin used for locating and centering the hole. When the insert is fed into the orifice, it is automatically aligned with the hole. Thereafter, the force necessary to force the insert into the hole is axially applied to the insert in a fixed and correct relationship to ensure an accurate and uniform insertion. Thus, this technique obviates the need for a skillful and highly dexterous operator for such insertions.